AGREEMENT BROKEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21234, 14 July 1932, Page 12

AGREEMENT BROKEN.

THE MINERS DOWN TOOLS.

STOPPAGE AT THE RENOWN. DEMAND MADE ON MANAGER. WORK RESUMED AFTER 3 HOURS. A three-hour stoppage of work occurred at the Renown mine, near Huntly, yesterday morning, owing to a demand by the miners, which the mine manager refused, that a certain man should bo given employment in tho mine. A stopw.ork meeting was held on the arrival of the miners for work at 8 a.m. As a result tho men downed tools and no work was done in the mine until 11 a.m., when, following tho intervention of the Northern Miners' District Council, tho men resumed work.

Tho trouble had its origin on Tuesday, the first day the mine was opened for union labour following the strike. In addition to tho re-employment of all the miners who had been on strike, three extra hands were taken on in furtherance of the company's endeavohr to copo with increased orders for coal during the winter period. Two of tho men so engaged were former mine officials; tho third was chosen by tho manager from tho ranks of some 70 men who had been retrenched at Christmas.

Tho minors claimed that preference should have been given to ono of their number who had applied for work unsuccessfully. Tho manager said that that was impossible, but oSered the man some work loading slack coal into trucks. This work, however, the man refused to accept.'

Advice of Officials

When the minors arrived at tho colliery at 8 o'clock yesterday morning a stopwork meeting was held and it was decided to do no work until the man in question had been givon a job in the mine. Those men who resided in Huntly returned to the town by motor-bus; tho others wont back to their homos in Renown village. .When news of tho stoppage reached the ears of the officials of the Miners' District Council they visited tho mine and issued instructions that tho men should go back to work, pointing out that tho new agreement with the mine-owners provided that in cases where disputes arose over the engagement and dismissal of men, formal complaint must be made to the owners, and failing a satisfactory agreement being reached tho dispute would be referred to an independent chairman, to be mutually agreed upon, whose decision would be binding on both parties. The men accepted the advice and returned to work at 11 a.m., thoso who had returned to Huntly going back to the mine by bus. A "Glaring Instance."

In the meantime a hurried meeting of the directors of Renown Collieries, Limited, had been held in Auckland to consider the position which had arisen and a certain course of action was decided upon. When news was received, however, of the return of the men to work this course was not proceeded with. Approached yesterday with regard to the incident, Mr. N. R Chapman, secretary of Renown Collieries, Limited, said the man over which - the dispute had arisen had not been employed by tho company since Christmas. The miners saw the manager of the mine on Tuesday and asked him to re-empl6y tho man, but the manager pointed out that only three additional men were then being given work in the mine and there was no other work available then for which he considered the man in question was suitable. The miners refused to accept the manager's decision and refused to work.

" This is a glaring instance of the very thing the owners have had to put up with all along," said Mr. Chapman, "and it happens immediately the men go back to work." The attitude taken up by the men was absolutely contrary to the letter and spirit of the agreement to- which the men's leaders pledged themselves in Wellington and which the men themselves afterwards endorsed by their vote in the ballot."-

A STOP-WORK MEETING.

INCIDENT AT PUKEMIRO. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] HUNTLY. Wednesday. A stop-work meeting was held at the Pukemiro collieries this morning, but work was commenced soon after 8 a.m. The dispute arose through one of the men who had been engaged filling slack coal for the carbonisation works prior to the strike being told yesterday morning that he waf not wanted. A relief worker had been kept on in his place. The dismissed man was a unionist and claimed the privileges of the union, whereas tho relief worker was not a member of the union. The management was approached later this morning and tho worker was reinstated.

THE HIKURANGI MINE. . MEN AT WORK AGAIN. RELIEF IN THE DISTRICT. [by -TELEGRAPH. —OWN correspondent.] WHANGAREI, Wednesday. After eight weeks' idleness work was commenced .at the Hikurangi Coal Company's mine at Hikurangi at midnight last night and by this afternoon the mine was working almost at capacity. Several portions of the mine are at present unworkable owing to water having gained entrance during the period of the strike, but this is not a serious matter and it is expected to have the mine in normal working condition early next week. The resumption of work in the mine has caused a feeling of renewed confidence among the business community of Hikurangi and Whangarei, which has felt the effect of the strike in no small measure.

NOTICE WITHDRAWN.

THE WALLSEND TROUBLE. RETURN TO WORK EXPECTED. [by telegraph.—press association.] • GREYMOUTH, Wednesday. • The Coal Mine Owners' Association today asked tho Wallsend Mine Company to withdraw its notice regarding contract working, so that tho forthcoming conference at Westport concerning tho general coalmining agreement should bo not jeopardised. Tho company agreed and the miners are expected to resume work tomorrow under the old conditions. The Wallsend mine, employing 150 men, was idle yesterday and to-day owing to tho miners going on sfcriko as tho result of an objection to a notice from tho owners which tho men interpret to mean the attempted introduction of the contract cooperative system of working the mine. Yesterday tho men decided by 140 votes to 10 in favour of ceasing work until tho notice was withdrawn.